Month: July 2010

It's been a higher-profile year so far for Mike Vecchione. He performed well into the semifinals of Last Comic Standing, taped a set for Comedy Central's new Russell Simmons Presents Stand-Up at the El Rey, was just a "New Face" at Montreal's Just For Laughs, and last night, performed a set on The Tonight Show. You can tell by the smile on Vecchione's face how much fun he's having. He even pulls a fake ending on the audience. Roll the...

Four years ago, Bill Burr infamously turned the tables on a horribly behaved audience in Philadelphia. Since then, most comedy fans have come around to Burr's way of thinking, but it has been interesting to see what the comedian has been up to recently. Whether seeing him headline an hour at Carolines in New York City, do a one-man show or showcase sets at Just For Laughs in Montreal, Burr has seemed more than content to launch a first strike offensive against the audience from the very top of his set, acknowledging "I've dug myself a hole in the first thirty seconds" or something to that effect. It's not that Burr wants the audience to hate him. It seems as though he merely wants to challenge their pre-conceived notions on what constitutes societal norms. Burr performed last night on Late Show with David Letterman, and there, he could not get away with opening on a bit wherein he attempts to put a new perspective on domestic abuse, but he does something even more challenging. On Letterman's stage, Burr opened by taking on Oprah. I'm sure Letterman's audience didn't know what to do with that, what with Letterman's long awkward history with Oprah. Burr was taking on Oprah's stance that mothers have the most important jobs, and from there, he also tells audience members that they're wrong to think they're...

If I had been hip to BBC America back in 2005, or lived in the U.K. in 2002, then I would have known long and well about the wonderment that was Look Around You, the spoof on science and educational videos presented by Peter Serafinowicz and Robert Popper. The first season is just out now on DVD, and Serafinowicz has cut a new promo for it that is, just, well, look at it. Related: The BBC still has an outdated site up for the programme, as they spell it across the pond, because they're brilliant like that. Furthermore: It's available from Amazon.com and other...

A lot of people thought Ellen DeGeneres seemed uncomfortable as a judge last season on FOX's American Idol, including DeGeneres, who just put out a statement late today that she would not return to the series. She said on her site: A couple months ago, I let FOX and the "American Idol" producers know that this didn't feel like the right fit for me. I told them I wouldn't leave them in a bind and that I would hold off on doing anything until they were able to figure out where they wanted to take the panel next. It was a difficult decision to make, but my work schedule became more than I bargained for. I also realized this season that while I love discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent, it was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings. I loved the experience working on "Idol" and I am very grateful for the year I had. I am a huge fan of the show and will continue to be. Related: One of the things keeping her busy is her own record label, which she announced she was starting this summer after pre-teen Greyson Michael Chance's videos singing and playing the piano blew up on...

Drew Carey hosts The Price is Right, not The Biggest Loser, but sometime between taping his game show and Tweeting about the World Cup, the comedian improvised a weight-loss plan of basic diet and exercise to drop upward of 80 pounds. Carey, 52, told People magazine that he cut the carbs and hit the cardio because he was sick of being fat and having Type-2 diabetes. "I like being skinny," Carey said. "I was sick of being fat on the camera. Really, I just got sick of it. Once I started losing weight, again, like once I started dropping a couple pant sizes, then it was easy 'cause once you see the results, then you don't wanna stop." Congrats,...